Key Stakeholders

Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Radiation and Indoor Air
Radiation Protection Program

EPA's Radiation Protection Program leads the Agency's efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of radioactive materials in industrial devices. It coordinates stakeholders, strategic planning, and technical support in such areas as pollution prevention, source reduction, life-cycle design, partnership programs, and radiation protection issues.

Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic SubstancesDesign for Environment (DfE)

The DfE program works with individual industry sectors to compare and improve existing and alternative products. They address performance, human health and environmental risks, and costs. The goal is to facilitate the identification, adoption, and innovation of clean products, processes, technologies, and management systems.
Contact: Clive Davies Tel: 202-564-3821 Email: davies.clive@epa.gov.

Research Community

Nongovernmental Organizations

EPA enlisted the Product Stewardship Institute, to help lay the ground work for a government-industry radiation alternative technology partnership. The partnership is patterned after successful product stewardship partnerships with carpet and paint industries.

Other organizations, such as American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors participate as well.

Federal and State Expert Panel

The Expert Panel ensures communication among federal agencies and between federal agencies and state agencies. It also functions as a “sounding board” for EPA proposed initiatives. The Expert Panel meets quarterly.

State agencies (Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey),

The need for a panel emerged out of the original alternative technology dialogue initiative started by the Product Stewardship Institute with the support of EPA in 2003. The panel has met via conference call since June 2006.

Radiation Source Protection and Security Task Force

The Radiation Source Protection Security Task Force is one of several task forces established under Section 651 (d) the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) (Public Law 109-58). It is charged with evaluating and providing recommendations relating to security of radiation sources in the United States from potential terrorists threats, including acts of sabotage theft, or use of a radiological source in a radiological dispersal device (RDD); providing recommendations for appropriate regulatory and legislative changes to the Congress and the President.

Highlights of the Task Force Study Findings

In the United States, there are millions of sources of radioactive material and tens of thousands of authorized users (licensees).

The amount of radioactive material authorized for these licenses ranges from one-millionth of a curie (1 µCi), such as sources used in gauges, to millions of curries, such as sources used in large irradiators.

Approximately 44,000 Category 1 and 2 sources are possessed by 1,400 Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Agreement State licensees.

The majority of sources are Category 3, 4 and 5. The EPACT Task Force concluded that either Category 4 or 5 and poses little risk for use in an RDD. (EPACT Task Force transmittal letter to President)

While the Task Force concluded that Category 4 and 5 devices pose little risk for use in an RDD. Category 3, 4, and 5 devices frequently fall out of control into the public domain where they can result in exposures to adults and children or contamination in the environment. Worker accidents involving Category 3, 4, and 5 sources also present the potential for unnecessary radiation exposure or environmental contamination. Licensees possessing radioactive material must comply with NRC or Agreement State requirements including proper training, management and tracking of radioactive source inventories and disposal. Licensees of a device whether it is a Category 1 or 5 are subject to inspections, enforcement actions and fines.

Conclusions of the Task Force

The task group of federal agencies and a state representative reviewed the status of programs related to the protection and security of radiation sources and concluded the following:

Since September 11, 2001, Federal Agencies have implemented or are in the process of implementing actions to increase security. While implementation of some of these activities is still in progress, the actions that to date have substantially enhanced security. Nevertheless, completion of ongoing activities should continue to be a high priority. (EPACT Report, p.1